NBA

Here’s Why The NBA Is On A Historic Pace For The Most 50+ Point Performances In A Single Season

Author photo
By
Zach Wolpin
Author photo
Zach Wolpin Sports Editor

Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.

All posts by Zach Wolpin
Sports Editor

Updated26 Jan 2023

Luka 60 point pic

One things for sure, the league is in good hands for years to come with all the young talent on the rise. That is why there has been a notable difference to this season compared to those in the past. Players from all 30 teams are scoring at a historic rate this season and the league’s star have been shining brightest. Mot notably, 17 players have already scored 50 points or more this season. 

That is the most through the month of January since 1963. NBA talent come into the league so polished as young players and just continue to develop into all-star’s and MVP’s down the line. There have been 17 50-point games out of 729 total games played across the league this season.

If this rate continues throughout the rest of the season for the entire league, it would be the highest rate of 50-point games ever since the 1965-66 season. The league is littered with elite scorers and that’s not a bad thing at all.

The NBA is seeing a historic rate of scoring this season

As expected, all-star’s and MVP’s are on the list of players who’ve scored 50+ points this season to bring the total to 17 so far. Those like Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, and Donovan Mitchell are just some of the players to have a dominant night or two this season. Next, we’ll look at the some of the best 50-point games we’ve seen so far this season.

Damian Lillard (60 points) 1/26/23

Lillard is one of the most dominant scorers in the last decade in the NBA. Just last night he became the 5th player in NBA history to have four or more 60+ point games. He had nine three’s and Lillard said it felt easy vs the Jazz.

Jayson Tatum (51 points) 1/16/23 

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Tatum’s 51 points carried the Celtics to a 130-118 win vs the Charlotte Hornets. He capped his performance with a 17-point fourth quarter. It was the MVP candidates fifth career 50 point game.

Damian Lillard (50 points) 1/12/23

Damian Lillard once again find himself on this list as he can drop 50+ points like it’s nothing. Against the Cavaliers a few weeks ago, Lillard did all he could to get his team a win. His 50 points were not enough to escape the Cavs in a 119-113 loss. This was the third time in his career that he had 50 or more points in a loss.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (55 points) 1/3/23 

The Greek Freak set a new career-high with 55 points against the Washington Wizards back in the beginning of January. Milwaukee took home a 123-113 win that night and the two-time MVP added 10 rebounds and 7 assists in the game. At the time. it was his third straight game with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Klay Thompson (54 points) 1/2/23 

The Golden State Warriors went to double OT vs the Atlanta Hawks on 1/2 and Klay Thompson’s 54 points propelled the team without Steph Curry that night. Golden State took home a narrow 143-141 victory. It was a big night for Klay as this was the most points he scored since his long battles with injuries over a two-year span.

Donovan Mitchell (71 points) 1/2/23 

The Cavaliers all-star SG put on a historic performance vs the Chicago Bulls in Cleveland’s 145-134 OT win. He set a new Cavs franchise record for most points in a game and it was the most points since Kobe Bryant’s 81 in 2006. Mitchell also became the 7th player in NBA history to have at least 70 in a game.

Luka Doncic (51 points) 12/31/22 

On New Year’s Eve, Luka Doncic’s third 50-point game of the season gave the Mavs a narrow 126-125 victory vs the San Antonio Spurs. That win kept the Mavericks six-game win streak alive at that time.

Luka Doncic (60 points) 12/27/22 

Whether he win MVP or not this season, Luka Doncic is going to win MVP of this league at some point in his career. On 12/27, Doncic scored a career-high 60 points vs the New York Knicks in a come from behind OT victory. He became the first player in league history to record 60 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game.

Luka Doncic (50 points) 12/23/22 

Doncic had a dominant three-game stretch and his 50 points vs the Houston Rockets was the first of three this season. In a 112-106 victory, he recorded 50 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was quoted after the game saying “When you feel hot, you feel like everything will go in.”

Pascal Siakam (52 points) 12/21/22 

The Raptors took home a 113-106 win vs the New York Knicks backed by Siakam’s 52 points. He’s tied for the most points for a single game in franchise history. Siakam scored 34 points combined in the second and third quarters. New York limited him to just nine points in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough to hold he Raptors to a loss.

Devin Booker (58 points) 12/17/22 

Booker’s 58 points vs the New Orleans Pelicans was the third-most of his career and the most in a win. His performance helped the Suns edge out a 118-114 comeback victory. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to have five 50-point games since Kobe Bryant, one of Booker’s known idols.